This album was a long time in coming, so song selection has significant meaning for me. I learned Fran Dance from the late great Chuck Carter when he invited me into his quartet many years ago. Chuck loved all styles of music and was particularly fond of playing the lesser-known. Alone Together was a tune I first played in a local trio playing private events. When Summer Comes crept up on me while listening to one of the late Oscar Peterson’s first recordings after he had recovered from his stroke. Its tender melody compelled me to learn it. Schelle Intermezzo was written while studying composition with Dr. Michael Schelle and was a break from working on a composition for orchestra. Air was written with my old band-mate and friend Jim Albrecht back in the early 1980s. (Jim wrote some beautiful lyrics for the tune, but you don’t want to hear me sing!) Chas Carter is a tune I wrote for the Chuck Carter quartet. He played it on bass clarinet to my utter delight. Effection Confection is an experiment with Dave Weber, my engineer, who set up a bit of digital distortion for me to react to and create this spontaneous improvisation. LauraLauraLaura! is a snapshot of my loving, beautiful and supportive wife of 18 years and is intended to capture a bit of her personality. Rosie Rosebud is an impression of our sweet old dog we rescued from the Humane Society. Her physical limitations are outweighed by her sweet disposition. My One and Only Love became “our song” when Laura and I were on honeymoon in Boston, visiting a friend who knew the pianist at a piano bar we stopped in. I was invited to play something and it was the first tune that came to mind. I’ve played it for Laura on special occasions ever since. Dear Heart has been a favorite of my Dad’s for a very long time and I’ve played it for him whenever I can. Edelweiss is from my Mom’s favorite musical, Sound of Music, so it seemed only fitting to put the two songs together for the two people who have done so much for me throughout my life.